Number 232 - August 2002

UPDATE
To Move Or Not To Move That Is The Question Your opinion is important
Parkland/Spanaway Library     Our present meeting room is a satisfactory facility for most of our purposes and although somewhat limited in capacity (50+), is still adequate for the 25 or 30 people who normally attend our meetings. However, there are two features which are deemed by some to be sufficient drawbacks to consider moving to another facility.     One drawback is that, since the Library is a public facility and must be available to all, we must reserve the meeting room in advance each month to assure that the room will be available to us on our scheduled meeting night. We are, however, allowed to reserve the room six months in advance. But Library policy does not allow us to reserve the room in perpetuity, or even a year in advance. If we fail to advance our reservation each month (our fault) someone else can reserve the room on our meeting date, thus depriving us of our usual advertised meeting date and room. This has happened more than once, however, with due diligence on our part, this does not need to be a problem. Secondary to this is the need to pick up the Library key on the Saturday preceding our meeting if the following Monday is a legal holiday and the Library is closed (e.g. Nov 11).     The second drawback is that the Library will not allow us to activate the existing telephone line in the meeting room in order to use it to demonstrate on-line features, even though the calls would be to a local ISP. We have offered to guarantee payment of any charges to no avail.     On the plus side the Library has been our home for years. When we have moved to other facilities for various reasons, they have, without exception, proved to be less satisfactory and we have moved back to our existing room as soon as it was available to us. Recently, the Library has been open on our meeting night so there is a continual flow of traffic through the lobby inviting walk-ins or the simply curious and the increased exposure of the group. New Building Location and Appearance     Below is a map of the Highway 512 and Portland Avenue area showing the location of the proposed new facility. Photographs of the building exterior are in the right hand column. ==>	Former SE Tacoma Midland Water Company Building     As a result of the merger of city water companies the facility at 1614 99th Street E., has become available in the Midland area, north of the Portland Avenue exit off Highway 512. The building was recently made available to a local Community organization and can be reserved for meetings by any group at no charge. It can be reserved on a yearly basis, without the need for monthly advances of the date. The meeting room has a capacity of about 75 and there is a live telephone line available for local calls.     The building has its own parking lot which is available to whichever group is using the building at that time. As a result parking is available near the door if it is necessary to carry equipment into the building.     The drawbacks are, it is a different address, and local foot traffic is little to none. It does not presently have a projection screen but one is proposed. In the meantime, a portable screen can be used. The facilities can be compared directly only through use. It is presumed that they are comparable.     It is proposed that we meet there for the September 2002 meeting to assess the facility as a future meeting place. Please let board members know how you feel about the proposed move.     Be sure to attend the August meeting to hear more about the proposed move to The Northeast Tacoma & Midland Water Company building. If you want to check it out yourself follow the map above.     Below left is the map from Highway 512 and Portland Avenue to the new facility. To the right are photographs of the exterior of the building. Burning CDs     In the hardware section this month are several articles on Burning CDs and making bootable and self-starting (autorun) CDs. We didn't set out to cover CDs in this issue. It just worked out that way.
Number 232 - August 2002